Esther Yu Smith

In Hawaiʻi, the healthcare workforce represents a fragile and overstretched reality rather than an abstract policy issue. The removal of even a single clinician from practice has significant consequences, particularly in rural communities where healthcare access is already limited and the margin for disruption is minimal. This bill proposes a practical update to Hawaiʻi law by permitting actively practicing Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to claim the same jury duty exemption...

As a primary care doctor, I sometimes feel a reflexive weariness when yet another study is published concluding that we should spend more on primary care. Study after study has made the same point for decades: strong primary care improves health outcomes, advances equity, and lowers overall health care costs. The evidence is clear. What has been missing is not proof, but a practical way to turn that evidence into durable change. What makes the 2025 Primary Care Investment Guide , developed by...

Although national scorecards consistently rank Hawaiʻi as having the best healthcare, citing long life expectancy, low uninsured rates, and efficient healthcare spending, these metrics obscure significant challenges. Many families lack access to primary care, mothers are often required to deliver on other islands, and hospitals frequently face staffing shortages. This contradiction is longstanding and originates from the limitations inherent in the data collection methods. The Gap Between...